The speculation over shifting of the prestigious biennial Aero India show from Bengaluru to Lucknow has sparked a row between Karnataka state government and the defence ministry in New Delhi. Chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy wrote to defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman saying that Bengaluru is “the proper place” for the show because of its infrastructure.
ThePrint asks- Aero India may shift: Hurting Bengaluru’s defence industry or investing in BJP-ruled UP?
If Centre thinks they’ll gain in 2019 by shifting Aero India, they are mistaken
H.D. Kumaraswamy
Chief Minister, Karnataka
The government of India is yet to take a decision on the aero show. I had spoken to defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman when she visited Bengaluru. I had apprised her of the apprehension over shifting the venue of the air show, and requested her to not take such a decision.
In the last 15 days, I saw media reports quoting their sources as saying that the venue will be shifted to Lucknow.
Then I decided to write to the Prime Minister. I have made a heartfelt request to him to intervene and not take a decision to shift the venue.
I have also written a letter addressed to the defence minister and copies of that have been sent to all the MPs and legislators of Karnataka so that they can stand united on the issue and ensure that this decision is opposed.
I am requesting all our MPs and union ministers to impress upon the Government of India that Bengaluru is the best location for the air show and it is unfair to move it out of the city.
I feel that technically it is not feasible to move the air show to Lucknow because Bengaluru is the hub of the country’s aviation industry and aeronautical activities. Several prestigious aviation institutions and defence installations are here. So, I am convinced that better sense will prevail upon the defence ministry to not take an adverse decision.
I see this not so much as a political gimmick, but more of a pressure from the central government on the defence ministry to take a decision like this.
If they think that by doing this they will gain in the 2019 elections, I completely disagree. All the ministers who are representing Karnataka in the central government have a responsibility to ensure that the aero show remains in the city as it has become a global brand.
I must also emphasise that the government of India should take the opinion of the public before they come to any decision. Let them put the matter in the people’s court and let them decide if the aero show should be in Bengaluru or elsewhere.
Also read: Modi govt will further alienate the south by moving Aero India to Uttar Pradesh
Those who wield maximum clout will take the show to their preferred location
Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha
Former Chief of Air Staff
Bengaluru is a good location for the aerospace show because the industries related to aviation exist in the city and it has a favourable ecosystem. Having said this, we knew all along that the venue may be shifted.
Shifting the show will include a lot of bargaining and jockeying. Obviously, people who wield maximum clout will take the show to their preferred location. It depends on the government and the people in power to decide where it will be held.
If we can set up a nice venue with the requisite infrastructure, on the lines of the Paris and Farnborough air shows, then it can be a permanent location for such events.
The Yelahanka Air Force Station in Bengaluru has a few issues that need to be resolved. First, the runway length is inadequate and requires extension so that it can accommodate operations of heavier aircraft. The city of Bengaluru is on a higher elevation compared to the sea level and has undulations. It is also a military base, and therefore not ideally suited for the show.
If you want it to be a permanent location for the aero show, then you will have to get the infrastructure in place and the government will have to invest and ensure good facilities.
People from across the world are going to be there and one cannot have issues with the runway or the climatic condition that affects flight operations.
Bengaluru is rapidly expanding and the city is bursting at the seams. It may not be able to provide an ideal environment for long. There are too many flying restrictions in the city.
If one were to conduct an aerobatic display, flight safety measures should be considered. We should be ready for any contingency, including mishaps. We know that the adjoining areas are highly populated and the risks are higher. So, there are several issues that have to be looked into before organising an aero show.
Government can take the decision on finding the right permanent location that is also well-connected. I believe that location is going to be Uttar Pradesh, which is reasonably okay as far as the runway is concerned. But, it does not have the industries that can support the ecosystem for the Asian aviation hub.
BJP has used such tactics in other opposition-ruled states as well
Syed Naseer Hussain
Rajya Sabha MP
The aero show has been happening in Bengaluru for a while now and the city has been providing the necessary logistical and infrastructural support.
People from all over the world attend the event, and Bengaluru’s cosmopolitan nature has only helped. The proposal to shift the show out of Bengaluru is politically motivated. We have seen them (the BJP) use these tactics in those states that are either ruled by the Congress or other opposition parties.
We knew that Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) did not get the defence deal that would have helped thousands of youngsters get employment; instead, it seems the project is being given to Anil Ambani’s company in Mumbai.
So, the point is why is Karnataka being targeted? Is it because the people of the state did not give a full mandate to the BJP, or is it because the opposition parties are in power here?
Right from the chief minister to the MPs and MLAs from Karnataka as well as the interested groups have written to defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Modi, asking them to not shift the show out of the city.
Having said this, why can’t we have more than one aero show? One can be held at a global level in Bengaluru, and another one focused on Asia can be organised somewhere else.
Aviation is a growing industry. Air travel has become extremely common – air ambulances are being used, big hotels and hospitals have helipads now. One can now fly to smaller cities such as Gulbarga, Bidar and Bellary.
Karnataka as a state has its infrastructure in place. We can have specialised air shows and defence expos here. But my question is: if there is a need to find a permanent location for the air show, why can’t it be Bengaluru?
Also read: 56 years later, China can still choke Indian troops the way it did in 1962
Bengaluru home to maximum aviation companies, best location for show
Kota Harinarayana
Former Project Director, Light Combat Aircraft (TEJAS)
Let’s not look at it as a loss for Bengaluru. What is important to ask is: which is the right location for such an aviation show? Bengaluru is no doubt the answer.
Bengaluru is home to maximum aviation companies. Participants, visitors come for the Aero India show not just to watch it but also to have discussions with companies. This benefits the country. Hence, no other place will do.
Lucknow has no infrastructure to host an air show. You cannot change air show locations just like that. The Farnborough Airshow and the Paris Air Show have been going on for decades and their locations have not changed.
It is understandable that every chief minister would love to have an air show in her/his own state.
I don’t want to comment if it is a political move or not, but I do believe that for the benefit of aviation development in India, the right thing would be to let Bengaluru host it.
Move to UP dovetails neatly into political aspirations of BJP for 2019
Sujan Dutta
Defence Editor, ThePrint
A few months back senior executives of a global defence industry major with years — probably more years than any other company of exposure to military business in India – were sounded about the possibility of moving Aero India out of Yelahanka, the air force station near Bangalore. With its businesses spread across the world, the executives of that company were nonchalant about it, used as they were to political decisions on major events across countries.
The current controversy on whether moving Aero India out of Yelahanka is par for the course for most such major firms. They are looking at whether it fits into their calendar and whether the place would have the infrastructure. The calendar in this case has to do with airshows. International airshows take place from the US to Australia, with Farnborough (UK), Paris, India, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore in between. In the calendar of airshows, Aero India fit into February. Since 1996 when the first Aero India was held, India and Yelahanka fit into this calendar. This also coincided with India’s quest to buy 126 medium multirole combat aircraft. Such a promise brought the global majors to India with their ware on a no-cost no-commitment basis.
For Bangalore, it meant that once every two years, hotels would be full of exhibitors and consequently this generated funds. For Yelahanka, it meant the development of capacities in which several agencies, the Indian Air Force included, were heavily invested.
But Aero India is not an Indian Air Force show. It is a government of India show, managed chiefly through the ministry’s Defence Exhibitions Organisation. The DEO also organised DefeExpo, the land and naval systems organisation almost always in New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan till Manohar Parrikar took over as defence minister. He moved it for the first time to Goa. Then, Nirmala Sitharaman moved DefExpo to south of Chennai, coinciding with the announcement of a “defence industrial corridor” in Tamil Nadu.
Last week, in Yogi Adityanath’s presence, the “defence industrial corridor” in UP was formally inaugurated by the Prime Minister. Adityanath promptly asked for the Aero India to be moved to UP largely because of the opportunities it presented, seeing how Bangalore had benefited from it (despite its now crumbling infrastructure). If the Tamil Nadu experience holds for the Centre, Aero India will be moved to UP.
This also dovetails neatly into the political aspirations of the BJP for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Only the technical issues, such as whether the runway at Bakshi ka Talab military air station is good enough, whether it has enough hangars, and whether the infrastructure can be built in time, whether there are enough hotels and roads in Lucknow. The Centre is yet to make its decision official. A possible alternative, a politically astute one, may be to move it to Hindon, just east of Delhi. But that may involve the closure of airspace over Delhi, at huge commercial and aviation cost, for at least three hours a day for five days.
These are the considerations that are being weighed.
Compiled by Rohini Swamy, Associate Editor at ThePrint. She can be reached at @Rohini_Swamy.